A New Life
by Amaherst
Summary: Sequel to Senses. Will not make sense if you havent read Senses so read that before you read this! I suck at summaries so just read and review please.
1. surprise

"**They're back!" Odd yelled jumping off his seat to greet his friends.**

**Ulrich and Yumi had been offered a job in England for 3 years and were back in France today.**

**The gang all started to move from their seats but stopped when they saw a little girl with them who looked about 3.**

"**Mommy, Daddy, why are those people staring at us?" The young girl asked her parents, pointing the people who were staring at them.**

**Ulrich and Yumi looked over and smiled.**

"**Hey!" Yumi and Ulrich shouted and walked over to their friends.**

"**So, err, who's this little girl?" Jeremie asked still confused, if this was indeed Ulrich and Yumi's daughter, Yumi would have to have been pregnant at his and Aelita's wedding.**

"**I'm Krystal Hope Stern" the young girl stated proudly.**

"**And how old are you, precious?" Odd said bending down to her height.**

"**3 and a half" Krystal said cutely **

"**Impossible" Jeremie half-whispered**

"**Why is it impossible, Jeremie?" Ulrich said picking his daughter up.**

"**Because Yumi would have to have been pregnant before leaving here at least 2 months, but she wasn't"**

"**I was Jer'" Yumi smiled**

"**You would have told us" Jeremie said sounding a bit betrayed**

"**Jer' we told no one it case something bad went wrong like before" Ulrich said putting Krystal down.**

"**Oh" **

"**Daddy, when are we going home?" Krystal asked sounding tired**

"**Now sweetie" Ulrich looked up "Are we?" **

"**Yeah brought the van, don't worry" Odd said taking the keys out of his pocket.**

"**Odd, where's Sam?" Yumi asked taking Krystal's hand**

"**At home looking after Twinkle" Odd said leading them into the car park**

"**Ulrich help!" Yumi said stopping**

**Ulrich looked down and saw Krystal starting to fall asleep. He smiled as he picked up his daughter. Krystal soon fell asleep in her dad's arms.**

**Ulrich climbed gently into the back of Odd's van and gently moved the sleeping Krystal onto his lap and looked at her with pride and love. **

**Yumi smiled as she looked at her husband and daughter. The two people she loved most in this world.**

**Aelita was also looking at Ulrich and Krystal but mostly Krystal.**

**Her hair was already quite long for a three year old, past her shoulders and was the same colour as Ulrich's. She had most of Yumi's features. Aelita however had noticed, in the airport, that she had Ulrich's, deep thinker, bright brown attentive eyes. **

**Aelita smiled as she watched the young girl wake. She looked over at Jeremie and noticed that he also was watching Krystal and was frowning slightly.**

**This made Aelita feel very low, she thought she knew the reason to his frown.**

**Due to Aelita originally being a computer program it was impossible for her to have children, and she knew that that crushed Jeremie but he loved her so he wouldn't leave her. But Aelita wished that she could something that would make it possible for them to bring up a baby together.**


	2. back to basics

"**I'm so glad you're parents paid cleaners for this place while we were away!" Yumi laughed as she entered her home.**

**Krystal looked around her new home.**

**It was certainly different to her apartment in England, but in a good way, she thought.**

"**Daddy, where's my room?" **

**Ulrich took her hand and led her upstairs to show her room.**

"**MOMMY! MOMMY!" granddad decorated my room already and it's great!" Krystal smiled climbing onto her mother's lap.**

**Krystal looked at her parents friends.**

**Odd stuck out for her with his purple streaked hair.**

**Krystal looked around at the others.**

**The pink haired girl smiled sweetly at her before returning talking to Yumi. The guy with the glasses wasn't even looking at her just talking about England.**

"**Mommy, who are these people?" Krystal asked bluntly**

**Yumi smiled at her daughter "I'll let them tell you while I see how your father is doing with the unpacking"**

**Krystal looked at the 3 strangers expectantly **

"**I'm Odd" he laughed "And before you start yes that is my real name and yes I do live up to the name"**

**Krystal laughed. **

"**And I'm Aelita" **

**Krystal nodded**

"**I'm Jeremie" **

**Krystal again nodded**

"**I'm bored" She whispered to herself**

"**Oh, you are, are you?" Odd asked smirking "I know a perfect cure for that!" **

**Odd started tickling her. Krystal writhed and wriggled while still laughing manically.**

**When he had stopped, she was breathless.**

**Krystal smiled at him. Odd beamed back at her.**

"**You'd get on with my daughter" he said**

"**How old is she?"**

"**4"**

**Krystal nodded. "I'm going to go find mom and dad"**

**When she had left the room, Aelita smiled at Odd.**

"**Lovely, she is" Odd laughed**

"**Aspects of Ulrich and Yumi through and through"**

**Odd nodded his agreement, he looked at Jeremie.**

"**What's up Jeremie?" he asked**

"**Nothing" Odd shrugged.**

"**Odd!" Krystal's voice rang through the lounge.**

**Odd left the room.**

"**You know I was thinking Jer maybe we could adopt" Aelita said.**

**Jeremie looked at her "Why?"**

**Aelita, taken aback from his reply, replied "well I know you want a child and I can't provide one for you so maybe we could adopt"**

"**Let's talk about this at home" Jeremie whispered as Ulrich came into the room.**

**They talked for awhile and even more so when they were joined by Odd and Yumi.**

"**So, when did you first know you were pregnant again?" **

"**A week before Sam's Christmas party" **

"**And will you believe that she didn't tell me until the New Year celebrations?" Ulrich laughed along with his friends.**

"**We'd better go" Odd said looking at Jeremie and Aelita who nodded.**

**Ulrich and Yumi walked upstairs and into Krystal's room to find her sleeping peacefully.**

**They smiled and crept back downstairs.**

**Yumi cuddled up to Ulrich. "It's good to be back home" Yumi yawned.**

**Ulrich laughed "Yeah it is"**

"**And back in our house instead of an apartment"**

"**Yup" Ulrich once again laughed knowing where this was going**

"**Where Krystal can't hear every move we make" Yumi whispered seductively.**

"**And why is that a good thing?" Ulrich laughed playing hard to get.**

**Yumi looked up at his smirking face and she herself smiled.**

**Yumi pushed herself up and started kissing Ulrich gently. She felt Ulrich smile under her kiss. She broke the kiss and smiled at him. She stood up and locked the study's door.**

**Ulrich smiled.**

**Yumi sat on his lap and undid his shirt, occasionally kissing his neck playfully.**

**She unbuckled his belt and her tongue asked for permission for entrance into Ulrich's mouth.**

**Ulrich didn't move but simply stayed there smirking at his wife. **

**Yumi groaned at her husbands teasing.**

**She then smirked. '_Two can play at that game'_**

**She moved off his lap and undid her top 4 buttons enough to reveal her bra. She slowly removed her hair from the ponytail looking at Ulrich seductively. Ulrich still sat there just smiling.**

**Yumi then removed her denim skirt revealing her matching thongs.**

**She looked expectantly at Ulrich.**

**With no response, she then moved her hands up and down Ulrich's leg.**

**Yumi sat on Ulrich again and then slowly kissed his bared chest. Still no reaction from Ulrich, she got up and went to replace her clothes. A hand stopped her as Ulrich kissed her furiously. Yumi moaned in agreement.**

'**_we haven't done this in ages'_ they both thought as they got further and further... **


	3. A bad dream

**Sorry for the wait on this story. I have been quite busy with coursework for my GCSE's and I've also had a bit of writers block for this story. Luckily, I haven't anymore. I cleared my head with writing the songfic Thank you which is by Dido so read that and read and review this!**

"**Daddy! Mommy!" Krystal ran into her parents bedroom "I had a bad dream!" she cried.**

**Ulrich looked from his scared daughter to his sleepy wife and smiled.**

"**Come on, I'll take you downstairs for a bit so your mother can get some rest" He said getting out of bed and putting his dressing robe on.**

"**Thanks Ulrich" Yumi whispered returning back to sleep.**

**Ulrich gave Krystal a glass of warm milk. **

"**So what was your dream about?" he asked gently.**

"**I saw you and mommy and your friends and another girl falling and then I saw your crumpled bodies and I woke up"**

**Ulrich was speechless, he had been expecting that.**

"**Daddy?" **

"**Sorry honey, I'm sure that won't happen"**

"**I promise, when have I ever lied to you?" **

"**Never!" Krystal replied happily. **

**Ulrich looked down at her glass and saw that she had drank all of it.**

"**Off to bed now, busy day tomorrow"**

**Krystal nodded and kissed him on the cheek. Ulrich smiled.**

**He looked up at the clock to find that it was already six am. There was no point in him returning to bed and he doubted he could back to sleep anyway especially with Krystal's dream in his head.**

**Yumi awoke at seven with the alarm. She looked up and to her surprise saw no Ulrich.**

'_**No way would he have stayed up after handling Krystal, would he?'**_

**Yumi got out of bed and headed straight downstairs. As she entered the living room, a mouth- watering smell reached her. **

'_**He's cooking at seven in the morning!'**_

**Ulrich felt a pair of arms wrapping around his torso and smirked knowing who it was.**

"**Morning babe" Yumi replied with a kiss.**

**Ulrich made himself and Yumi a bacon sandwich and they sat down, both in their own thoughts.**

**Ulrich's was still on Krystal's dream. It had just been too horrible for a 3 year old girl to have and he just couldn't get it off his mind.**

**Yumi's was on there upcoming return to their old job. She had missed it but had quite liked England's way of running things in psychology.**

"**So, what are you thinking about?" Yumi asked deciding to break the silence **

"**Krystal's nightmare" He muttered **

**Yumi raised an eyebrow "Why? What was it?"**

"**All of us falling and then seeing our crumpled bodies"**

**Yumi, like Ulrich had been, was speechless.**

"**I know" he rubbed Yumi's arm "Better get ready for work and by the way Andy called last night but we were too busy obviously" Yumi giggled "but he left a message saying that he had enrolled Krystal into Sunnyvale nursery so we're both ok to work at the same time"**

"**Great!" Yumi replied both sarcastically and sincerely.**

**Ulrich laughed "And also we're to go round to Odd's and Sam's tonight for dinner" **

**Yumi nodded and went upstairs to get ready for work.**

**Sorry this chapter is so short but had to get this in for upcoming events in this story! So please review anyway out of the goodness of your hearts because it makes me smile! And don't forget about reading and reviewing Thank you by me!**


	4. art

**Ulrich and Yumi dropped Krystal off at her nursery and laughed at how willing she was to go and be left be her parents for the whole day.**

**As soon as Yumi and Ulrich entered their work place they were crowded by case-notes and colleagues telling them about their patients. They both sighed as they got down to work.**

**Jeremie and Aelita were sitting very quietly at the breakfast table sipping orange juice and reading their mail. Aelita glanced nervously at her husband. He had avoided the subject of children every time she mentioned it. She knew he wanted children but she didn't know why he avoided the subject of children. _'If only I could have children but its impossibility'_**

"**Jeremie, please just listen because I am only going to say this once. I know you want children as much as I do, but I can't, we both know that is out of the equation. So I am leaving you with two choices. Option 1, divorce me and find a woman that will be able to support your needs. Option 2, we adopt." Aelita finished finally opening her eyes and looking at Jeremie "Well?"**

"**So did Ulrich say yes or no to dinner?" Sam called to Odd from the kitchen.**

"**Yeah they can make it, all 3 of them!" **

**Sam laughed. She couldn't wait to meet Krystal who she had already heard much about from Odd. She hoped Krystal would make a good play-pal for Twinkle who, despite going to school, was quite withdrawn into herself except when playing video games with her dad. **

"**Are Jeremie and Aelita coming too?" **

"**No, I did ring them but Aelita said it was a bad time so they couldn't" Odd answered while sorting out his records for tomorrows gig.**

**Even though they couldn't live on dj wages they both did occasional gigs for the fun of it. Sam worked as a waitress at an uptown restaurant which was highly paid due to the richness of the restaurant. Odd had remained in the music business in the ways of a teacher. He taught music to all ages privately which, to everyone's surprise, had become quite popular. **

**Laughter was heard from the Della-Robbia house at 7pm. Everyone had eaten and they were all reminiscing about their past adventures and telling their tales to their children, who had soon got bored and went off to play upstairs. **

"**So how come you didn't tell anyone before you left that you were pregnant?" Sam asked once everyone had finished laughing.**

"**In case anything went wrong, we didn't want any fuss to be made if something happened again like last time" Yumi answered **

**Sam nodded and made a motion for Yumi to follow her to the kitchen. Soon laughter was heard and the guys knew that they were sharing girlie gossip.**

"**So...?" Ulrich said awkwardly.**

**Odd smiled at him.**

"**How were the sleepless nights?"**

**Ulrich grinned.**

"**Worth it" he simply replied meaning every word.**

**Odd smiled again. **

**He was glad that life had turned out good again to Ulrich and Yumi. He knew they saw Krystal as a blessing to them and knew they would treat every child that they had like that. He couldn't help but remember what life had been like for them. How tired and how weak they had been from their loss and from their loss came sleepless nights due to bad dreams. He watched Ulrich when Krystal came through along with Twinkle who went straight into the kitchen with her mom. Krystal however climbed on top of her father's lap and started telling him about her day at nursery.**

**Odd once again smiled when he saw the love shine through Ulrich's eyes as he listened intently to his daughter. **

**Odd seemed to notice things like this more than others, but only because he liked all types of art and this was defiantly art to him. A father and a daughter together laughing and enjoying each others company.**

"**That was fun wasn't it?" Sam asked clearing away**

"**Yeah it was, what did you think of Krystal?" he asked helping her**

"**She was lovely, just like her parents in every way"**

**Odd laughed. "Yeah, I'm sure they'll enjoy that when she grows up"**

**Sam joined in with her husbands laughing but quietened down when she noticed Twinkle asleep on the couch. Odd followed Sam's gaze and smiled.**

"**I'll take her up" **

**Sam nodded.**

**Sorry about the wait guys and girls but I've been very busy and recently got myself a boyfriend which was followed by trouble by 'friends' so make me happy by reviewing**

**I've also had a bit of writers block once gain on this story! But I've thought it out and now know where I am going with this!**

**And here's my next excuse I'm a bridesmaid on November 5th so that has taken some attention too!**

**Oh and sorry about the cliffy with Jeremie and Aelita but they will probably take up most of the next chapter!**

**Will update as soon as possible**


	5. Decision time

"**Aelita, I love you more than life itself, I can't leave you. But yes I would like children which you can't have."**

"**Jeremie, adopting would be fine, wouldn't it? I know it wouldn't be the same but it would still be a child. A child who would see us as his or her's parents. A child that you could play with, wouldn't it?"**

**Jeremie sighed.**

**Adopting would take several months and a lot of hassle but if they did end up with a child to keep, it would be worth it. He would love a child that he could fuss over. Too many children were abused in this modern-day world, so they would be doing their bit to adopt a child. **

**Several mind battles went through Jeremie's mind all throughout the day.**

**Aelita has agreed to allow Jeremie to think about it for the day. **

**So both Jeremie and Aelita had gone to work.**

**Aelita was first back from home. She had been nervous all day to coming home and finding out whether they would be adopting. **

**She was glad that Jeremie didn't want to leave her and wouldn't, but she was ready to accept that if it were to make him happy. She loved him so she only wanted to see him happy.**

**Aelita heard the front door opened and waited for Jeremie to appear in the living room. **

"**Hi" he muttered when he saw her.**

"**Hi" she replied quietly.**

**A silence lingered over them as Jeremie sat next to her.**

**Aelita decided to break the silence.**

"**Well..." **

"**I've given it a lot of thought and I want you to understand a couple of things"**

"**Go ahead" Aelita urged him**

"**Adopting takes a lot of hassle. Police checks have to be done on both of us; references will be needed from some people that we know; and we'll have to attend classes to understand a child's needs and a lot more"**

"**But Jer after all that we'll have a child to look after because we're both ok with our police records, our friends will give us good references and we're bright so we'll get through the classes fine"**

**Jeremie nodded at Aelita's words**

"**Well..." Aelita asked again **

"**If you're 100 sure that you're fine with it, then I am too"**

**Aelita jumped into his arms.**

"**We're going to have a family soon!" Aelita whispered into his ear lovingly.**

**Jeremie let go of Aelita and nodded.**


	6. a secret uncovering

**Saturday came to a great relief to the gang. They all had agreed to meet up at the park. **

**Odd was playing Frisbee with Twinkle while Sam chatted to Aelita about this adoption process that they were going through.**

**Jeremie had gone to fetch them all hot dogs for their lunch. **

**Yumi had since joined in with the conversation with the girls while Ulrich and Krystal joined in with Odd and Twinkle.**

**Ulrich chucked the Frisbee to Krystal, who was struggling to catch the Frisbee due to the long skirt her mother had put on her. Krystal jumped up in an attempt to catch it and it hit her. **

"**Krystal!" Ulrich half-shouted.**

**Krystal was holding her head, as her father approached her she dove onto his legs which caused him to topple over and she started tickling him fiercely while laughing at her father's manic movements under her tickling.**

"**Krystal! Need any help?" Yumi laughed**

"**Sure!" **

"**NO!" Ulrich rang out **

**Laughing, Yumi jumped up and started tickling Ulrich too.**

"**Please...Stop...Now" Ulrich panted**

**Jeremie came with their hot dogs and smiled at the family scene of Yumi and Krystal tickling Ulrich to death. He couldn't help thinking that that will be him, Aelita and their adopted child hopefully soon.**

**Krystal and Yumi finally stopped tickling Ulrich to which he was grateful. Ulrich stayed lying down to catch his breath and as Krystal and Yumi, still laughing, went to leave Ulrich. He grabbed their legs and they both fell either side of him.**

**They all laughed as they all cuddled. **

**Ulrich got up and helped Yumi and Krystal up and they ate their hot dogs peacefully. With the exception of Odd who was laughing at how Ulrich was tickled to death by 2 girls, which caused him a slap around the head from Sam and Aelita which was followed by laughter from the others!**

"**So tell us, what did you get up to when you were younger together?" Twinkle asked looking at the gang.**

"**How about we show them?" Aelita asked **

**Everyone nodded and Twinkle and Krystal and Sam followed the original gang to the factory which held so many memories for the five. **


	7. Hope

**Ulrich and Odd led everyone into the old factory. Krystal's eyes darted everywhere and she gasped in horror and raced to her father.**

"**Daddy, this is the place I saw in my nightmare" **

**As young as Krystal was, she was already very smart and had a very good mind to remember things like these.**

**Ulrich was speechless. Krystal could not have known about this factory. For a start, she lived in England for the first 3 and half years. And then he and Yumi hadn't mentioned this place at all.**

"**Jer, I need to talk to you, you guys go ahead"**

**Apart from Ulrich and Jeremie, everyone went around the factory telling the 2 youngsters of their adventures, knowing full well that they would repeat themselves over and over again as they got older.**

**Meanwhile, Ulrich told Jeremie everything that had happened recently with Krystal. Jeremie, like Ulrich had been, was speechless.**

"**Coincidence?" Jeremie asked **

**Ulrich simply looked at him unbelievably.**

"**Come on, lets catch up I think I saw them going up to the top floor" Jeremie said changing the subject after giving up on the mystery.**

"**I'll be there in a sec, Jer" **

**Jeremie caught up with the others in time to fall as the aged floor gave away.**

**Ulrich, who was about to catch the lift up heard the screams and knew, in a panic, what had happened.**

**With no time to spare he grabbed the old mattress that Jim had used to sleep on before the final battle with X.A.N.A and flung it underneath the louder screams.**

**Everyone but Krystal and Odd fell onto the soft mattress but them two fell hard onto the cold stone floor.**

**Ulrich ran forward to his daughter;**

"**Krystal, Krystal, please answer" he pleaded with her in his arms.**

**Yumi got up from the mattress and joined in with her husbands pleading.**

**Sam and Twinkle were also trying to get Odd to wake up,**

"**Daddy, please!"**

**Odd's eyes flickered open and a brief smile shone before he became once again unconscious. **

"**He's alive Sam, don't worry, but there could be an internal bleed, ambulance now!" Jeremie ordered as he moved onto Krystal who had awoken once.**

**Ulrich and Yumi were now in tears but never giving up on making their daughter awake.**

**Jeremie removed Krystal from Ulrich's arms and lay her down so he could examine her freely.**

"**She's breathing but very shallow, her pulse is very slow, good thing an ambulance is on its way"**

**Yumi clung onto Ulrich in fear. **

'**_Not again, please not again. This would be worse, please not again' _Ulrich prayed **

**Odd had awoken after surgery feeling his old self minus grogginess from the Anaesthetic 6 hours after the fall.**

**Krystal, on the other hand, hadn't. **

**She had been in surgery twice, both from internal bleeds but to no avail to her waking up. **

**Yumi had broken her heart when she had overheard the doctors talking about the case. They had called it 'hopeless' and that it was very unlikely she would awake.**

**However, neither one of them gave up hope, even after the others had to get home when it was after 3am.**

**Ulrich and Yumi stayed right beside Krystal all the time never giving up hope that she would once again awake.**

**They had not placed her middle name as Hope for nothing. Ulrich and Yumi hoped and hoped she would awake.**

**Ulrich had not gone to sleep but had kept watching his daughter for signs of movement. Yumi had reluctantly fallen asleep on Ulrich's shoulder but awoke with a start when Krystal's life machine...**


	8. Comfort

**Ulrich had not gone to sleep but had kept watching his daughter for signs of movement. Yumi had reluctantly fallen asleep on Ulrich's shoulder but awoke with a start when Krystal's life machine bleeped the fatal forever-lasting beep.**

**Doctors and nurses rushed in and started doing all sorts of procedures on Krystal to get her back from the dead. Yumi's sobs was growing louder and louder as time got on. In true sense only a couple of minutes had past by but to Yumi and Ulrich it seemed like hours. Eventually when Yumi's sobs were distracting the doctors, a nurse was told to escort them to the relative's room.**

**Yumi was sobbing into Ulrich's shoulders. She couldn't help the tears that were flowing freely from her face. Ulrich had turned deathly pale obviously scared. He was inwardly cursing himself. **

_**It's my entire fault; the stupid mattress didn't reach for all of them to be protected from the fall. I shouldn't have allowed them to go up there especially knowing Krystal's dream. Please let her be alright. Yumi and I need her. She's our blessing, we need her...**_

**Ulrich's thoughts were cut short as Krystal's doctor came in. He sat down next to Yumi and patted her arm.**

**Yumi looked up at him expectantly.**

"**She's ok, she's awake and asking to see her parents" he smiled.**

**A smile lit on both Ulrich's and Yumi's face. They exited the room and entered Krystal's as fast as lightning.**

"**Mommy! Daddy!" Krystal shouted gleefully on seeing her parents.**

**Yumi hugged her daughter tightly not wanting to let go. Krystal hugged back just as much.**

"**Daddy!" Krystal again shouted wanting a hug of him.**

**He laughed and hugged her fondly. Ulrich's arm grabbed Yumi as she went to get off to the bed. He made her hug both him and Krystal.**

"**Yay! Family hug!" Krystal smiled joyfully.**

**Krystal was allowed to go home the following day. Twinkle came over to play with her along with Odd and Sam who came to talk with Ulrich and Yumi and of course to see how Krystal was.**

**Krystal went to bed early due to being tired after playing with Twinkle.**

**Yumi had read her a story tonight even though it was Ulrich's turn. Ulrich understood completely. It had scared Yumi, the thought of losing Krystal. It had scared him too, a lot. **

**Yumi came down after seeing Krystal asleep. She smiled as she saw Ulrich who as slowly starting to drift off to sleep himself. **

"**What the great Ulrich too tired? Even to watch soccer tonight?" Yumi teased **

"**Ha-ha very funny" Ulrich laughed mockingly getting up "Besides I'm taping it" **

**Yumi stuck her tongue out at him.**

"**Night Yumi" He said kissing her on the cheek.**

"**Nah, I'm coming"**

"**It was a close one, wasn't it?" Yumi sighed sadly as she got into bed with Ulrich.**

"**Yeah it was" He replied wrapping an arm around her.**

"**I couldn't bear it, if we lost her, Ulrich" Yumi whispered**

"**Me neither" Ulrich sighed tiredly.**

**Yumi felt Ulrich's hold around her loosen signalling that he had fallen asleep.**

**Yumi didn't know what she would do without Krystal or Ulrich but she had them and that's all that mattered. **


	9. Ansel

**Time had passed by reverently quickly for the gang. **

**Jeremie and Aelita had been accepted to adopt and had adopted a little boy named Ansel who was 4. He had blonde hair and green eyes and was also a little shy. That was until he met Twinkle and Krystal who had welcomed him straight away.**

**Aelita was happy with having a son as was Jeremie, he knew Ansel wasn't his own but he would treat him as his own. Jeremie couldn't help smiling every time Aelita and Ansel played with one another and loved that he got included. They were a true family now. **

**Jeremie loved the fact that he could be like Ulrich and Odd and know how it felt to be a father. Yes, he knew it was a little different as Ulrich and Odd were really Krystal's and Twinkle's fathers, but he got more than the general idea. He loved Ansel as his own and always would.**


	10. Tragedy

**A telephone was ringing in the Stern house at 1:30am. A tired Yumi answered it.**

"**Hello?...huh...you are joking, aren't you?...oh my, I'm on my way mom" Yumi literally sobbed now wide awake.**

**Ulrich came down rubbing his eyes also tired but soon became awake when he saw Yumi crying on the sofa.**

"**Yumi? What's wrong?" he asked uncertain.**

"**My dad he's dying in hospital as we speak, he's got a couple of hours to live, Ulrich I need to say goodbye"**

"**Let's go, it's lucky that Krystal is sleeping over at Twinkle's"**

**Yumi nodded but they both went upstairs to quickly change before driving off to the hospital. All the way Yumi was sobbing her heart off. Yumi had grown close to her father lately ever since moving back to France from England. And now the worst thing was happening to her, he was dying. **

**Ulrich dropped Yumi off outside whilst going to park the car. Yumi ran to reception desk to find out where her father was. Ulrich joined her just as the receptionist had finished telling her where to go to find her dad.**

**Yumi walked towards the lift and as she got in sobbed again. She was really trying not to cry, she knew her mother would be terrible upset. Yumi wanted to be the strong one for her but she really knew that Ulrich would be their rock. He would stay calm and look after both of them in this time of sadness. The lift beeped signalling that they were on the floor that they had requested. Yumi stood still even though the doors were open wide for her to go through into the corridor. Ulrich looked at her sympathetically. He couldn't even manage to begin what she was going through.**

"**Come on Yumi" he said wrapping his arm around her.**

**Yumi slowly walked out of the life with Ulrich's guiding. Mrs Ishiyama ran to Yumi and guided her to her father's bed. **

**Ulrich followed through and was watching Yumi for signs of wanting to leave. He knew that she had to say goodbye but there was also a limit on her saying goodbye and her wanting to leave through getting too upset.**

**Yumi's face when she saw her dad was pure shock and sadness. **

**Ulrich turned his head to look at his father-in-law and what he saw shocked him indeed. He had saw Mr Ishiyama only the week previous to this and he had looked perfectly healthy to him even though he had a kidney infection. Mr Ishiyama now was deathly pale with a blue-ish tinge around his mouth which indicated death. He was also connected up to several machines. **

**Yumi had told Ulrich on the way up what her mother had said on the phone. She had told Yumi that his kidney infection had gone beyond repair. That his blood was badly poisoned and had caused the heart to be affected. **

**Ulrich watched Yumi for a second longer and decided that Yumi and her parents needed some family time.**

"**Ulrich, where are you going dear?" Mrs Ishiyama asked him noticing him leaving.**

"**I'm gonna step outside so Yumi can have some time with her parents" he murmured quietly trying not to disturb Yumi from talking to her dad.**

**Mrs Ishiyama nodded her appreciation at his thoughtfulness.**

**Before Ulrich got through the door he heard his name being called groggily from Mr Ishiyama. He turned back and looked at his father-in-law with the greatest respect a man could ever give. **

**Mr Ishiyama spoke gruffly but he was understood. His meaning was clear:**

'**I know that Yumi loves you as much as you do her and I know you wouldn't let anything harm her but she can't be protected from death's bitter sting. I may not have liked you from the start but I have grown proud to call you my son-in-law. Krystal is the proof of how great you and Yumi are; tell her I love her please when she is old enough to understand the meaning of death. I love you all and have never been ashamed to admit that I would be nothing without my family' **

**With that he smiled at Ulrich and went back to reminiscing with Yumi and Mrs Ishiyama.**

**Ulrich was touched by Mr Ishiyama words. Ulrich went out into the corridor. **

'_**Why did something always have to interrupt how happy we are? Yumi is going to be crushed when he's gone. Oh why does this have to happen now?'**_

**Ulrich was brought out of his thoughts when several doctors and nurses rushed past him and into Mr Ishiyama's room.**

'_**Oh no'**_

**A nurse brought Mrs Ishiyama and Yumi out into the corridor while the doctors tried to revive Mr Ishiyama. Yumi was brawling onto her mother's shoulders. Mrs Ishiyama was herself bitterly crying. **

'_**I can't do anything but watch, I don't want to intrude on this tragic family death. But Yumi is hurting, she's breaking her heart'**_

**Ulrich's thoughts were driven away when a doctor came out and spoke to Mrs Ishiyama and Yumi. Ulrich was too far away to hear what was being said.**

**A tear escaped Ulrich's eyes when he realised by the two women's actions that his father-in-law had died.**


	11. Difficult times

**Ulrich quietly opened his bedroom door to check on Yumi. She was asleep but still looked distraught in her dreams. **

**Ulrich and Yumi had been at the hospital until 6am sorting out his death. Mrs Ishiyama stayed at the stern's house as she didn't wish to go back to an empty house.**

**Ulrich had called Odd and Sam to ask them if they would take Krystal to school and have her over one more night due to the recent event.**

**Ulrich sat down on the couch and put his head in his hands.**

_**Why can nothing be happy for us?**_

_**When we were dating-something bad always made one of us unhappy.**_

**_It's always a challenge for us. Always, and it's starting to take its toll on me._**

**Ulrich was taken out of his thoughts by his mother-in-law sitting down next to him.**

"**Oh, didn't realise you were awake" **

**She smiled sadly.**

"**Yumi is going to grieve for a long while I foresee it"**

**Ulrich looked up at her and nodded. He knew that she was right- knew that this wouldn't pass over easily.**

"**You're a sweet man, Ulrich. Yumi does treasure you. I know you'll look after her as does her father. I know his words last night touched you. And also do not tell Yumi this right away but after the funeral I shall be moving back to Japan to be with the rest of my family, Yumi has her own family now"**

**Ulrich just stared up at her. "If you think it's for the best"**

"**I do, when I lost my father my mother moved away for a bit and it helped me to become emotionally stronger"**

**Ulrich nodded not wishing to think how that would affect Yumi right now. **

**Mrs Ishiyama decided to go and organise her husbands' funeral declining Ulrich's offer of him going with her for support.**

**Ulrich had just dozed off on the sofa when Yumi entered the lounge. She looked at him and sadly smiled. He had been stuck as to what to do last night at the hospital and this morning she had cried herself to sleep in his arms. **

'**_I bet he thinks I'm pathetic, crying this much over my father but I loved him and respected him and had just started to feel able to talk to him freely when this had to happen. I must be cursed and poor Ulrich copes with all of it.'_ **

**Yumi sat down gently next to her husband but it still awoke him.**

"**Sorry Ulrich" she murmured looking at him**

"**Nah, don't be daft Yumi. How you feeling?" he asked stroking her hand**

"**A bit better I suppose now that I've slept. Is mother still in bed?"**

"**No, funeral directors, I did offer to go with her but she didn't want anyone with her"**

**Yumi nodded her head and muttered something about Japanese tradition **

**Yumi leaned onto Ulrich.**

"**I'm sorry" he whispered into her ear **

**Yumi nodded.**

**Over the next few hours, Yumi spoke to Ulrich about what happened in Japan when a person died and how it was tradition for the daughter of the family to give a speech on how their father helped them through tough times, and how important a role they played in their growing up. Ulrich learned a lot that afternoon about Japanese tradition. Yumi didn't only speak about her culture but of how close she had gotton to her dad and how they had spoke about things, that Yumi had never known or Mr Ishiyama never known. Yumi told Ulrich how she felt guilty about not telling her father about her miscarriage and about Lyoko. Their talk had ended when Mrs Ishiyama had walked through the door with silent tears falling down her cheeks.**

**Later that evening**

**Odd and Jeremie had paid a visit to the stern's house to pay their condolences but it had ended short when Yumi ran out of the room in tears with her mother rushing out of the door telling Ulrich that she would handle it.**

**Ulrich, Jeremie and Odd spent the evening talking about the past, present and future.**

**Eventually they left and Ulrich descended to bed only to find Yumi crying her heart out with her mother trying to comfort her but to no avail.**

"**Ah, Ulrich I've tried my best, said everything to her but nothing just constant crying" Mrs Ishiyama sighed **

**Ulrich sat beside Yumi and took her hand. Yumi responded by crying into his chest.**

"**Everything is just a constant reminder that he's gone" Yumi cried.**

"**I know and it will for a while Yumi, I thought you would know that. Everything that you are going to see, going to hear, going to do will remind you of your father and yeah you might cry but it will get better. You'll get through this" **

**Yumi stared up at him and smiled a little.**

"**You'll help me, wont you?" she asked **

"**All the way, Babe I'm not only your husband but your best friend and psychologist, and I'm always here for you, no matter what"**

**Yumi nodded and allowed Ulrich to dry her tears.**

"**Even if my profession wasn't a psychologist, I'd still be yours" **

**Yumi laughed slightly and even laughed when Mrs Ishiyama announced that it took Ulrich a couple of minutes to calm her down and she couldn't calm her own daughter down! **


	12. a touch of healing

**Yumi silently got dressed in her black skirt and black top. The dreaded day was here and it was killing Yumi inside knowing that she was going to bury her father today.**

**Ulrich had done as much as he could but both Yumi and her mother kept declining offers of help from him. Ulrich had ended up spending a lot of time round Odd and Sam's with Krystal so he didn't get in the way of the preparation. Krystal had not returned home but had stayed at Odd's. Ulrich had brought things over for her and came round to play with her for hours at a time. At times Krystal would ask why she had not seen her mother for 5 days and why she was staying with Twinkle instead of going home; Ulrich had had to answer best he could saying: ' your mother isn't too well, it's best for you to stay here'**

**Yumi felt a hand on her shoulder and when she turned around she saw Ulrich looking questioningly at her. She nodded; he was asking her if she was ok. Yesterday she had gotton very angry at the amount of times people were asking her if she was ok. Yumi looked at Ulrich's attire and saw that he was wearing his black morning suit. She gulped down the lump in her throat and heard beeping from outside which meant that the funeral cars were here; ready to take them to the church. **

**Ulrich took her hand and led her to the car. Yumi was in the middle of her husband and her mother, yet she still didn't feel secure, she wanted her dad with her. She wanted the impossible. A silent tear rolled down her cheek and Ulrich, upon seeing this, squeezed her hand and whispered in her ear ' it'll be alright just remember he's with you'. When Yumi had looked at him confused, he placed his hand on her heart:**

"**He's with you in here and –"**

**He put a finger to her forehead**

"**-and here"**

**Yumi smiled at his thoughts and nodded but also responded to him with something that she hadn't done since her father's death; she kissed him. Granted it was only a little kiss on the lips but Ulrich smiled and understood it to mean that she was improving and that his words had gone to her heart.**

**A couple of hours later, Yumi was getting changed into her night clothes. She sighed. Today had been one of the worst days of her life but she knew that she wouldn't have coped without Ulrich by her side. Ulrich had been there for her all day; he had never left her side once. **

**Ulrich entered the bedroom silently and changed into his bed clothes; a t-shirt and a pair of grey joggers. Yumi watched him the entire time. **

'**_Wow, I have one of the best guys ever. I'd hate to lose him_"**

**Ulrich, still not saying a word, climbed into bed and simply stared back at his wife who smiled at him. Yumi got into bed and cuddled into Ulrich's well-built arms. **

'**_One drama down, another to go once she finds out her mother is leaving' _ Ulrich thought as he felt Yumi's head slide slightly further down in his chest signalling that she had fallen asleep.**

**Right guys and girls here is my apology and excuse!**

**I am so sorry for not updating in like ages but trust me you so couldn't either with the drama of a life I've been having. My friend who was pregnant had an abortion at 5 months! There's been a lot of grief at home. Then my computer has been playing up and last of all there's been a lot of Christmas shopping!**

**Oh and for all my fans out there I shall be writing a Christmas one-shot romantic for Code lyoko. I shall post it on 23rd December so please R&R!**


	13. Understanding

"**Goodbye sweetheart," Mrs Ishiyama kissed Krystal and gave her to her father.**

"**Bye Grandma!" Krystal replied happily unaware of how sad her mother was**

"**Goodbye Ulrich, look after Yumi, but I already know that you will, you are a sweet man Ulrich take care" Mrs Ishiyama kissed him on the cheek. **

**Ulrich took Krystal inside to allow Yumi and her mother to speak privately. **

"**Honey, I know you disagree with me leaving but it is for the best. You have Ulrich and Krystal to look after now. I shall be with my family in Japan, please come and visit me sometime, I love you my darling, don't forget that" she kissed her daughter and got into the taxi.**

**Yumi waved her off with a tear in her eye. She just couldn't believe that her father had died and the day after the funeral her mother leaves for Japan. Yumi felt alone and parentless but nonetheless she stepped back into her warm home.**

**Yumi could hear Krystal's laughing and entered into the living room to find that Krystal and Ulrich were having a tickling fight. **

"**Come and join in, mommy!" Krystal said with glee when she saw her mom**

"**No honey, I'm not in the mood" Yumi said placing a fake smile on her face. **

**Ulrich could see right through the fake smile and told Krystal to find a DVD they could watch. **

**He sat down next to Yumi and he put his arms around his wife. **

"**I'm ok Ulrich just fed-up, why can't we ever have a long period of happiness?" she asked him sounding tired.**

"**I know but things, they will get better I promise"**

"**I may have fought with my father when I was younger but I turned to him when Theo dumped me, and when William and I spilt up and then it was him that I stayed up all night talking about you when we finally got together"**

**Ulrich nodded his head and simply allowed her to cry and complain in his arms**

"**And then I never told him about the miscarriage or Lyoko and I feel guilty about that 'coz he had started telling me things that I never knew"**

**Ulrich started to understand what a father meant to a daughter as she continued talking about her feelings and regrets. He finally understood why girls made a fuss over their fathers. He knew he wouldn't be able to feel what Yumi was feeling now that her father was dead but she was hurting inside and that was something he could feel too.**

**After Yumi had dried her eyes and calmed down, they watched a DVD together.**

**Yumi even managed to laugh at some parts.**

**Ulrich had made popcorn after a thousand requests from Krystal for it. **

**3 hours after the DVD finished, Odd, Sam, Twinkle, Jeremie, Aelita and Ansel came round to try and cheer up Yumi.**

**If truth be known Yumi had already cheered up a lot just by spending time with her family. She did understand the reasoning of why her mother left for Japan. For her mother, there was nothing left in France for her. Yumi had her own family now to look after. Mrs Ishiyama needed Yumi to realise that she had her own family now and that she couldn't depend on her parents to help her anymore. That she had to sort things out for herself. **

**In a way, Yumi had already done this especially with the miscarriage but the thought was always subconsciously there that she could turn to her parents if things had turned out too sour to take. Now, her father was dead and her mother had moved to Japan. Her mother was right she had her own family now- Ulrich and Krystal. They were the most important people in her life and would be forever. She thought that she had grown to be an adult but now she truly had, she had to have independence now. Ulrich and Krystal was her life now and her childhood would just have to be long gone sweet memories with the occasional hint of bitterness and sadness.**


	14. A gift of memories

**3 months later saw the gang and children at Krystal's 4th birthday party. **

**Everyone was having a laugh. The children were playing part games like; pin the tail on the donkey; blind mans buff; pass the parcel, etc. supervised by Yumi, Aelita and Sam. Ulrich, Odd and Jeremie were in the kitchen all suffering from headaches but not exactly helping themselves by drinking alcohol. Jeremie was only allowed a couple of small glasses as he would be driving Odd, Sam and Twinkle home as well as Aelita and Ansel.**

**Ulrich took a peek inside the living room but quickly returned when he saw Twinkle walking around blindfolded and feeling around 16 children. **

**Yumi came into the kitchen laughing slightly but quickly stopped when she saw Odd asleep on the kitchen table.**

**She raised her eyebrow to Ulrich and Jeremie who simply replied together:**

"**Too much drink"**

"**When you see the lights go off bring the birthday cake through, ok?" Yumi half-asked half-told her husband.**

"**Sure thing"**

**Ulrich lit the 4 candles on his daughter's birthday cake along with the number 4 candle that was placed in the middle of the cake.**

**Jeremie told him quietly that the lights had gone off in the living room which was his sign for him to come in with the cake. Odd had groggily waked up and followed Ulrich in with Jeremie. **

**As Ulrich came in with the lit birthday cake, everyone started to sing 'Happy Birthday' to Krystal. **

**When Ulrich got in front of Krystal with the cake, and when the song had finished, she looked up at him.**

"**Make a wish, sweetheart" he smiled**

**Krystal closed her eyes and silently made her wish and then with one big blow blew out all 4 small candles and on her second blow blew out the number 4 candle.**

**As Ulrich put the cake on the table, everybody applauded Krystal.**

**An hour later and everybody had left Ulrich, Yumi and Krystal in peace. **

**Krystal was busy playing with her new toys that she had got while her parents tidied the rooms up from the party.**

**The doorbell rang out and Ulrich answered it.**

**A minute later Ulrich came into the living room with a big parcel in his hands.**

**Yumi looked at him questioningly**

"**It's for you Krystal" **

"**Yay more presents!" Krystal said excitingly**

**Krystal opened up the parcel and found Japanese clothes inside. **

**She read-aloud the birthday card, with some difficulty, which had come with it:**

"**To Krystal, Happy 4th Birthday. May there be many more. The Wafuku inside this box has a long history and I'm sure your mother will remember it and tell you the stories I told her. I know you are not 100 percent Japanese but you are 50 and that is enough to wear your family's robe.**

**All my love darling, Grandma."**

**Yumi took out the Wafuku and smiled.**

"**It wont fit you for a while honey but when it does you'll look beautiful in it"**

**For the rest of the evening saw Krystal asking questions about her mom's history and once that had been explained she went to ask about her fathers to whom Yumi explained too. Ulrich had just laughed when Yumi had started telling Krystal about his history but didn't mind and took a custom of just listening in and corrected the parts in which Yumi had got mistaken.**

**After settling Krystal into bed, Yumi snuck into the kitchen and wrapped her arms around Ulrich's body from behind.**

"**She asleep?" Ulrich asked while pouring wine into two glasses.**

"**Yeah, totally out of it but before she was still going on about her being half-Japanese and half-German"**

**Ulrich laughed and passed Yumi her glass.**

"**To the future and to us" Ulrich toasted**

"**To the future and to us" Yumi laughed and knocked her glass against Ulrich's.**

**They drunk their wine and then themselves went up to bed as they were tired from being up early to decorate the house for the party.**


	15. Sealed with a kiss

**Yumi and Ulrich watched Krystal confidently skip into her new primary school.**

**Now that she was 4 she could go to the local primary school and start learning instead of playing all the time.**

**Yumi and Ulrich waved one last time before Krystal turned around and went further inside the building.**

"**Wow, first day of her primary school" Yumi smiled as she got into the car with Ulrich to go to work.**

"**Yup and then it'll be junior high school, then high school, then university and then a job with bits in between of her finding a boyfriend, getting engaged, getting married, having children" Ulrich started the car and looked at Yumi.**

**She had frown lines on her forehead.**

"**Makes you feel old doesn't it?" Ulrich laughed.**

**Yumi rolled her eyes but laughed along with him.**

"**You know when we were 14; I never saw this future you know"**

**Ulrich side-glanced at her but couldn't look at her for long as he was driving.**

"**In fact I only ever saw myself as the black gothic girl I was then"**

**Ulrich laughed "Yeah and look at you now wearing a white suit!"**

**Yumi laughed**

"**At junior high, you seemed to have an obsession with the colour green; in fact it was all you wore"**

"**Yeah like Odd with the colour purple and you with black"**

"**And Aelita in pink" they both said together laughing.**

"**Jer didn't really have a colour did he? Except that it was always a blue top" Yumi pondered.**

"**Yeah Jeremie may have been the youngest but he was the most sensible" **

**Yumi nodded her agreement**

"**We're here" Ulrich said in a happy-sarcastic voice.**

"**Oh joy" Yumi smiled but spoke sarcastically**

"**What time do you want getting picked up today?" Jeremie shouted to Aelita from the kitchen**

"**Around 4:30, if that suits you" Aelita said coming into the kitchen. "Right we're all ready, Ansel is dressed and waiting in the car, I think it's a hint"**

**Jeremie laughed "He likes his nursery doesn't he?"**

**Aelita nodded and handed Jeremie his keys and walked out the house and into the car.**

**Jeremie followed.**

"**Daddy, Krystal is starting primary today" Ansel spoke from the back of the car**

"**Oh yeah, I wonder how she feels" Jeremie questioned to no-one in particular**

"**Krystal will be confident you know that Jeremie, she is Ulrich's and Yumi's child"**

"**Yeah that's true" Jeremie muttered but laughed all the same.**

**Odd walked back into his house from dropping Twinkle off at primary. He had seen Ulrich and Yumi leaving in their car but they hadn't spotted him.**

"**Right, you're working tonight aren't you Sam?" Odd asked walking into the kitchen and pinching a piece of toast of Sam's plate.**

"**Yeah I am but I'm thinking of calling in sick, I keep being sick and I feel really ill"**

**Odd looked up at his wife and saw that she was rather pale.**

"**Maybe you should go to the doctors or something" Odd said concern sounding in his voice.**

"**Yeah maybe" Sam replied quite calmly but a moment later rushed to the toilet to be sick again.**

"**Look I've got to go to Mrs Saunders house, I've got a tutoring session for 2 hours, you gonna be ok?"**

"**Yeah, of course I am Odd" She said and kissed him on the cheek.**

**Odd arrived back home with a bunch of flowers in his hand for Sam. He had chosen her favourite-pink roses**

**He walked into the lounge and saw Sam on the couch watching TV and looking much better.**

**He handed her the flowers and kissed.**

"**You feeling any better?" he asked her**

"**Yeah loads but I do know the reason I was being sick this morning"**

"**What was it?" Odd said sitting next to her now that she had sat up.**

"**Odd, I'm pregnant"**

**Krystal came leaping out of the doors and into the arms of her dad and then her mom.**

"**Did you have a good day, sweetheart?" Yumi asked already knowing the answer by the looks of her daughters smile.**

"**Yeah, I made loads of friends" she said**

"**Bye Krystal, see you tomorrow!" a girl in pigtails shouted over to her.**

"**Yeah see you tomorrow Ashley!"**

**Krystal climbed into the back of her dad's car and started telling them about her first day at primary school.**

"**Jeremie, Sam called and asked if we could go round tonight Yumi and Ulrich and Krystal are going to be there too, I said we could; is that ok?" she asked her husband**

"**Yeah of course, wonder what's happened?" Jeremie thought aloud**

"**What do you mean?" Aelita asked confused**

"**Well usually they invite us round on Friday night or a Saturday night not a Monday night"**

"**Oh yeah, see what you mean now"**

**Sam opened the door to let Jeremie and co' in and she led them through into the living room.**

"**Ansel Twinkle and Krystal are upstairs" **

**Ansel eagerly climbed the stairs and into Twinkle's room.**

"**Glass of wine you two?"**

"**Only one then, got works haven't we?" Aelita said**

**Sam gave them their glasses along with Ulrich's and Yumi's. She also gave Odd a glass of wine but she herself had an orange juice.**

"**Well I'm sure you're wondering why we invited you around tonight being that its work night and that I've got work in an hour but we wanted you to know second of all. We've already told Twinkle but here we go" Sam said hardly containing her excitement**

"**I'm pregnant!" **

**The gang all congratulated Sam and then Odd.**

**And after drinking their glass of wine they left leaving Sam and Odd and Twinkle alone.**

"**I'd best go to work" Sam said miserably**

"**Want me to drop you off?" Odd asked**

"**No it's only a few minutes walk away, see you later"**

**She kissed Twinkle and then Odd.**

**Twinkle went to bed shortly after her mom went to work and left Odd to ponder in his thoughts.**

'_**A father again. I've created a whole new life again with Sam. For some reason I hope it's a boy this time but as long as he or she is healthy I won't mind"**_

"**Sam pregnant again would you believe it?" Ulrich laughed quietly after returning from putting Krystal to bed. **

**Yumi laughed with him.**

"**Do you want anymore Ulrich?" Yumi asked him not knowing what she wanted the answer to be.**

"**I don't really know, Yumi"**

"**Because if you do I could come off the pill you know and we could start trying if you want" **

"**Do you want another child?" he asked her**

"**I don't know either." Yumi answered**

"**Then lets leave it for a while and discuss it when one of us knows if we do or we don't want a another child, deal?" Ulrich asked her.**

"**Deal but lets seal it with a kiss" Yumi said cheekily**

**They kissed and continued to watching TV.**


	16. Serenity

**9 months had slowly passed away for Sam. Everyone else had said that time seemed to fly by but to Sam, it seemed to have gone slowly, too slowly. But finally she was in the hospital having slow and steady contractions waiting for baby Della-Robbia to make his or her appearance into the world. Sam and Odd didn't like finding out the sex of the baby before the birth, they preferred being surprised and finding out when they see what their child looks like.**

**Suddenly, Sam screamed out in pain. More pain than she had been in with past contractions.**

"**It's coming Odd!" she screamed while breathing in and out of the oxygen mask provided for her.**

**A couple of hours later, Odd and Sam looked down on their baby daughter, Serenity.**

**The gang had looked in half and hour before but decided to leave the happy parents to their new addition.**

**Twinkle had also been with them when they looked in on Serenity and had welcomed her sister to the family by saying:**

"**Hey Serenity, I'm your big sister Twinkle. Now don't worry, Daddy might seem odd to you but its ok because his name actually is Odd so it makes perfect sense"**

**Everyone, including the nurses, had laughed at the comment made by the four year old.**

**Twinkle was staying the night at Ulrich and Yumi's in Krystal's room while Odd and Sam adjusted Serenity to her new home. As she was in perfect health the doctor allowed her to go home after several tests had been performed.**

**The next night, Twinkle slept back in her room but quickly wished she had stayed with Krystal. Serenity cried half the night keeping everyone awake but Sam quickly took Serenity downstairs so that Odd and Twinkle, who had work and school to go to tomorrow, would have a chance at sleep.**


	17. Babymaking

**Yumi looked into the living room to make sure that Krystal, Twinkle and Ansel were ok playing twister, which seemed to be their favourite game lately.**

**After seeing that there were ok she sat back down next to Ulrich who was reading through the post that had arrived this morning. **

**Krystal, Twinkle and Ansel had had a sleepover last night mainly for the fact that Twinkle wanted a break from Serenity and they invited Ansel to make it more fun.**

"**Anything interesting?" Yumi asked while sipping her tea.**

"**If you count bills as interesting then every one of those letters should interest you" Ulrich answered sarcastically**

"**Is everything alright though, with money?" she asked concern sounding through her voice**

"**Yeah, course it is, our wages are generous and then we've got extra money coming through so we're ok. Nothing to worry about" he assured her.**

**Yumi nodded her head.**

"**Kids, if you want breakfast, you'd better hurry up and tell me what you want" Yumi shouted from the kitchen.**

**Krystal poked her head around the door**

"**I'll have some toast, Twinkle wants cornflakes and Ansel wants porridge" she quickly said and returned to their fifth round of twister.**

"**I'll do it" Ulrich said before Yumi managed to get up.**

"**Err ok," Yumi commented confused.**

**Ulrich laughed but continued making the children's breakfast.**

**Later that morning, after Twinkle and Ansel had been taken to the park by their parents and Krystal joined them, Ulrich sat down next to Yumi and had a serious look on his face.**

**Yumi gave him a questioning look.**

"**Remember what we said about 10 months ago?" he asked**

**Yumi thought for a while but after a moment shook her head unable to figure out what he was talking about.**

"**We sealed it with a kiss?"**

"**Oh, that. Carry on" Yumi insisted looking into his face trying to read his expression.**

"**Well, do you know whether you want another child yet?" he asked**

**Yumi thought for a while. She still didn't really know. She remembered when she was pregnant with Krystal, the pregnancy hadn't been at all bad, the birth was painful but that was to be expected, the sleepless nights had been work-affecting but all-in-all she had enjoyed sharing the experience with Ulrich, especially after her terrible miscarriage.**

"**Do you want another child Ulrich?" she asked**

**Ulrich thought for a second and then slowly began to answer**

"**I would but I want both of us to be ready for it together" he replied uncertainly**

"**Good, 'coz I want another child too. I want Krystal to have a little brother or sister to play with and annoy when they grow up."**

**Ulrich smiled happily and kissed his wife affectingly.**

"**Krystal is stopping over at Aelita and Jeremie's tonight you know" Yumi smirked**

**Ulrich smiled and kissed her again this time allowing her to deepen the kiss. Yumi pulled Ulrich down further to her and kissed playfully on his neck. She stopped and led him upstairs seductively...**


	18. we did it!

**Yumi returned tothe dark bedroom and looked over at the clock, it read 6:05am.**

**Carefully and quietly removing clothes from the wardrobe, Yumi ran over what she had eaten last night to cause her to be sick. **

**Suddenly, that familiar lump returned in her throat and she dashed to the bathroom.**

**Ulrich awoke and looked over to see clothes dumped on the floor, no Yumi in bed and the bedroom door wide open. Ulrich ventured out of their bedroom and saw the bathroom light on, he slowly opened the door and watched as Yumi began to be sick in the toilet. Ulrich's eyes lit up as he reached a conclusion of the reason she was being sick.**

**After Yumi flushed the toilet, washed her face and had a drink of water, he hugged her from behind whispering into her ear the words: **

"**We did it!"**

**Yumi fathomed out what he meant and once she had figured it out smiled and mentally cursed herself for not realising herself what this meant.**

"**I've got to go and check at the doctor's first Ulrich before we can be sure that I am" she warned. He nodded but smiled all the same at the thought of Yumi being pregnant again.**

**Krystal came bounding out of school happily with Twinkle and they skipped to meet their dads in the playground. **

**Upon seeing Krystal, Ulrich smiled and reminded Odd to come round to their house tonight.**

"**Why is Uncle Odd coming round tonight Daddy?" she asked once they were inside the car**

"**Me and mommy will tell you together" he smiled, his mind still upon the news he had heard earlier.**

"**Mommy, why is Uncle Odd coming round tonight?" Krystal asked once inside the house.**

**She smiled and looked at Ulrich.**

"**Honey, we've got something to tell you" Yumi spoke calmly.**

**Ulrich wrapped his arms around Yumi and waited for her to tell their daughter.**

"**You're going to have a brother or sister like Twinkle!" Yumi grinned.**

**Once Krystal had realised what her mother had said she smiled and jumped up and down in excitement. She hugged her mother and then her father. She then went upstairs to change but all the way she was chanting the words: 'I'm going to have a little brother or sister!" at the top of your voice.**

**When the gang had found out the news, they had all smiled and toasted the baby to be and congratulated Yumi and Ulrich.**

**Twinkle had warned Krystal of the sleepless nights she would receive from the baby but Krystal had merely shrugged.**

**After the gang left, Ulrich rang his parents to tell them of the pregnancy. They were delighted and wished them luck through the pregnancy.**

**Yumi had already written a letter and took it to the post office to be sent to Japan as soon as they knew she was pregnant informing her mother.**

**After settling Krystal into bed, Yumi sat down with Ulrich who wrapped his arms around her. He also did something that he used to do in England during Yumi being pregnant with Krystal, he placed a hand over Yumi's stomach and smiled own at her stomach. They smiled at one another. They had done it! **


	19. Kaiser Hiroshi Stern

**Krystal watched her mother's belly grow bigger and bigger every month. She had, of course, seen this with Sam but it still seemed weird seeing her usually slim mom with a big belly.**

**Her father wasn't allowing Yumi to do much and she was lucky she was allowed to do the dinner.**

**Krystal knew her mother was fed-up of her father doing everything because her mom was playing board games with her all the time, usually the only time that that happened was when Krystal was ill, so her mother kept her entertained.**

**Month by month ticked away. Eventually Yumi cracked and yelled at Ulrich to let her do something; he gave in and allowed her to do the washing. Krystal watched the baby's bedroom eventually be completed. The colour of the walls was sky blue; the furniture was pine; the blankets and pillows white. They had requested not to be told what sex their baby was, purely on the basis of Yumi's Japanese tradition.**

**Yumi was putting washing into the washing machine, one of the jobs Ulrich had allowed her to do, when she felt a sudden pull in her stomach. Another one followed shortly after and again and again, each one gaining in strength. She knew what was happening. The baby was coming three weeks early. She quickly reached for the phone and rang Ulrich's mobile and yelled 'IT'S ON ITS WAY!" before hanging up and ringing for an ambulance. **

**Ulrich got there two minutes before the ambulance did and found Yumi on the floor with a puddle around her meaning that her waters had broken.**

**As soon as Ulrich heard the ambulance he let them in and allowed them to carry Yumi into the back of the ambulance. Each contraction seemed to be causing Yumi more pain. When a particularly strong contraction caused her to scream she yelled to Ulrich:**

"**YOU DID THIS TO ME!" causing the paramedics to laugh.**

**Ulrich laughed with them, "she said that with our first" **

**Yumi grabbed hold of Ulrich's hand, who stroked her hand with his thumb. Another contraction, another scream; this however caused Ulrich to feel the pain too as Yumi dug her nails into Ulrich as she tried to withstand the pain she was going through.**

**4 hours later and Ulrich and Yumi had a new addition to their family; A little boy. They named him Kaiser after Ulrich's granddad. Kaiser Hiroshi Stern. Ulrich looked down upon his son with pride and love.**

"**I'd better ring Odd and tell him to bring Krystal up to the hospital for us" Ulrich whispered.**

**Yumi nodded but was still gazing down on her son.**

'**Kaiser Hiroshi Stern' she thought.**

**His name kept ringing through her ears and suddenly realised something. Both of her children had the same initials; Kaiser Hiroshi Stern and Krystal Hope Stern.**

**She smiled at this coincidence. She had a perfect little family now; her, Ulrich, Krystal and Kaiser.**

**Yumi looked down into her sons eyes and recognised them as her husband's eyes as well as Krystal's. They were the most beautiful eyes anyone could ever ask for, and Yumi knew that Kaiser would break hearts one day with his eyes, just as his father had done to many girls in high school.**

**Ulrich walked back into Yumi's room quietly and looked down at Kaiser again. Yumi told him of the initials and he simply laughed muttering something along the lines of 'meant to be'.**

**Krystal walked into the room holding her fathers hand and quietly whispered:**

"**Hello Mommy" **

**Krystal stood quiet still and the gang simply watched her.**

"**Kaiser is in your mom's arms, honey" Ulrich encouraged her**

**Krystal nodded and walked forward, not letting go of Ulrich's hand.**

**She looked down at her baby brother with amazement, awe and astonishment shining through her eyes.**

**Krystal seemed to gain confidence as she let go of her fathers hand and gently wrapped her finger around his her brother's hand.**

"**Hi Kaiser, I'm your big sis Krystal" she whispered down at him.**

**Odd, Sam and Twinkle had waited outside to allow Krystal to see her little brother alone with her family. They came into the room when Ulrich popped his head around the door and told them to come and see Kaiser.**

**Not long after Odd, Sam and Twinkle had "Aww"ed their way at Kaiser, Jeremie, Aelita and Ansel came to visit them too. After about what seemed like a thousand 'aww's' they left Ulrich, Yumi and Kaiser alone; Krystal left with Twinkle as Yumi and Kaiser had to stay in the hospital over night for tests and Ulrich was going to stop with them too, despite Yumi's protests.**

**The next evening, Ulrich, Yumi and baby walked into their house to find the gang already waiting there for them. **

**Yumi looked pleasantly surprised but Ulrich simply grinned.**

"**Thanks for making sure the house was warm, Odd" Ulrich laughed.**

**A look that said I-should-have-known spread across Yumi's face as she placed Kaiser in his crib next to the fireplace, Krystal came over straight away and started whispering to her brother; Yumi smiled and sat down next to her husband and joined in with the gangs chat.**

**After about an hour of mindless talk Aelita commented on something that the rest of the gang, minus Ulrich and Yumi, had picked up on:**

"**Kaiser is a quiet baby, isn't he?"**

**Yumi nodded but when Aelita gave her a look of confusion, she answered her more fully.**

"**Well it makes perfect sense, when I was a baby I hardly cried, neither did Ulrich and Krystal was the same, its genetics, isn't it?"**

"**Oh" was the only word available from any of them.**

**Yumi looked at Ulrich's watch and noticed that it had gone past 11pm.**

"**Krystal, its past your bed time" Yumi said sternly.**

**Krystal, though grudgingly, left the living room and travelled up to her bedroom.**

**Twinkle, Serenity and Ansel were already asleep on their parents' laps which caused Odd, Sam, Jeremie and Aelita to leave so that their children could get some comfortable sleep.**

**After 30 minutes of comfortable silence of Yumi just lying down in Ulrich's arms, she decided that the last tradition of bringing the baby home was to be completed.**

"**Come on Ulrich, let's take Kaiser to bed now" She smiled tiredly**

**Ulrich nodded and helped Yumi off the sofa. Yumi collected Kaiser from his cot and carefully carried her baby up the stairs with Ulrich's arm wrapped around her waist.**

**Kaiser had woken up a bit while being carried to his room so when he was placed in this bigger cot, he wondered what was happening. Ulrich and Yumi smiled at one another. Yumi began to sing a well-known Japanese lullaby to her son: **

"**nen nen cororiyo, ocororiyo**

**boya wa yoiko da, nen ne shina**

**boya no omori wa, doko e itta  
ano yama koete, sato e itta**

**sato no miyage ni nani morota  
den den daikon ni, sho no fue"**

**Which when translated into English means:**

**Go to sleep, go to sleep**

**You are a good boy, go to sleep**

**Where did your nanny go  
she crossed over a mountain and went to her village?**

**What souvenir did you get from her village**

a small drum and a flute.

**Yumi expected to receive these gifts from her mother, Kaiser's grandmother when she received the letter telling her of the birth of Kaiser. It was tradition in Japan for grandmothers to buy a small drum and a flute to their grandson. Yumi knew it would come soon.**

**Ulrich and Yumi watched Kaiser's eyes stat to flicker; sleep drifting its way into him. Kaiser's eyes finally shut and gentle even breaths emitted from his slightly open mouth.**

**Yumi climbed into bed with Ulrich a few minutes after leaving Kaiser's room.**

"**You glad it's a boy?" Yumi asked**

"**Yeah I am, a little guy I can teach Soccer" Ulrich grinned.**


	20. Baptisms and worries

"**Kaiser is a character isn't he?" Sam commented whilst making breakfast early Monday morning.**

**Odd laughed "Yeah he sure is."**

"**I heard Yumi's mom is coming over for the baptism of Krystal and Kaiser" **

"**Yeah she is, even though she wants them to be baptised in Japan, she accepts that it's Yumi's decision"**

**Odd nodded. **

"**You know I wonder what Ulrich parents think of Krystal and Kaiser"**

**Sam shrugged "All I know is that they were happy that they are being baptised in German tradition"**

**Odd nodded again and began eating his toast while Sam fed Serenity and herself at the same time.**

"**Mom, am I going to the baptism?" Twinkle asked looking up from her school reading book.**

"**Course you are, my love, what makes you think you wouldn't be?"**

**Twinkle shrugged and continued reading.**

"**Ansel, have you got everything for school?" Jeremie yelled from downstairs **

"**I have now, dad" Ansel yelled right back**

"**Hurry up then, son, we got work to go to!"**

**Ansel hurried downstairs and into the kitchen where he and his dad watched Aelita finish straightening her hair at the same time as doing Ansel's lunch for the day. The sight for the two was quite amusing, as she was doing both tasks one-handed. When she heard sniggering she looked up and gave them both a stern look which caused them to shut up.**

**Five minutes later they managed to get out of the door with Aelita looking as good as she usually does.**

**In the car they started to discuss what everyone seemed to be discussing – Ulrich and Yumi with their German baptism.**

"**Krystal is quite excited about being baptised with her brother, doesn't she?" Aelita said.**

"**Yeah, but I still think that they should have had her baptised sooner" Jeremie commented.**

**Aelita shrugged "I suppose but now it's going to be a double celebration, isn't it?" Aelita said with a touch of excitement.**

**Ansel laughed while Jeremie rolled his eyes at his wife's enthusiasm for parties.**

**Meanwhile, at the Stern house, things were very lively. So lively indeed that Krystal had gone to her room, straight after school, to get some peace and quiet from Kaiser but especially from her parents.**

"**Ulrich, what time have you got to go and pick my Mom up from the airport?" Yumi said in a panic and stress from all the arranging.**

"**I don't know babe" Ulrich replied distracted while he was dressing Kaiser.**

**Yumi looked like someone had told her that she was going to die in 24 hours with the look she had, as she fled through the house looking for the jotter, which she had put the time her mother would be arriving at the airport.**

"**Ulrich you've got to pick her up in 10 minutes, so you'd best go now" Yumi said while sitting down and relaxing in the arm chair after being on her feet for the past two hours.**

"**One problem there, who's going to get Kaiser done then while you have your rest?" **

"**I will, stupid" Yumi said while putting her arms out for Ulrich to give her Kaiser, but he didn't.**

**Instead he put him in his cot first and turned to his wife, sat on the arm of the chair and kissed her passionately. Though a little shocked at first, she soon returned the gesture. After a couple of minutes of frenching, they broke apart.**

"**What was that for?" Yumi asked as Ulrich gave her Kaiser.**

"'**Coz I'm not going to be able to do that for two weeks except in the privacy of our bedroom but I bet we'll be tired every day from work, and arranging and other stuff" **

**Yumi understood fully and smiled to herself as she heard the car leave the drive.**

'**_I have the best husband ever' _she thought as she continued to feed Kaiser.**

**Thirty minutes later, Yumi heard the car pull up to the house and she mentally prepared herself for this evening once more.**

**Ulrich opened the door for his mother-in-law and allowed her to enter but first reminding her to keep her voice down as Kaiser may be asleep.**

"**Yumi, my precious daughter!" Ms. Ishiyama half-whispered in greeting to her daughter.**

**They hugged and Yumi took her mother upstairs to show her mom her grandson.**

**Ulrich watched them go upstairs and then sat down on the sofa deciding that he deserved a rest after Yumi's mom lecture him that Krystal and Kaiser should be baptised in Japan.**

**He and Yumi had already discussed this long and hard and Yumi was the one who had made the final decision. She wanted them to follow on the German line of the family, the more respectable line, she thought.**

**Of course, Ulrich was glad of this decision but any decision would have suited him, as long as Yumi was happy, so was he. **

**His parents couldn't have been more proud that their grandchildren were being baptised in German tradition. **

**Ulrich laughed slightly to himself as he thought of the times when he knew his Mother and Father wanted more from him, the times when they weren't proud of him, but now they told him over and over again how proud they were of him.**

**Of course when they said that they were proud of him, Yumi's name always followed afterwards but Ulrich wouldn't have it any other way.**

**Later that evening saw the gang along with Ulrich's parents and Yumi's Mother discussing the baptisms with awkwardness from the gang minus Ulrich and Yumi.**

"**Ok, Godparents" Yumi said.**

**A silence ran through the room and everybody's eyes were on Yumi. Ulrich, who knew Yumi hated to be in the spotlight by herself, put his arms around her to give her encouragement.**

"**Ok, Kaiser needs two god fathers and one godmother, and Krystal needs two godmothers and one godfather"**

**At this point Krystal entered the room and asked if it was time yet.**

"**Right on time honey" Ulrich sat and patted the space next to him on the floor for her to sit next to her parents while Ansel and Twinkle joined their parents.**

"**Ok I want my godmothers to be Aelita and Sam and my godfather to be Odd" **

**Ulrich looked over at Jeremie, but soon returned to looking at his daughter when she spoke again.**

"**I've chosen Aelita and Sam 'coz they're great and not old and are mommy and daddy's friends. And I've chosen Odd 'coz he makes me laugh even when he first met me, he did"**

**With that, she beckoned for Ansel and Twinkle to follow her upstairs.**

**A slight laugh went through the room at Krystal's actions.**

"**Ok and obviously Kaiser cannot choose for himself so as Krystal had already chose her godparents we decided that Odd and Jeremie should be godfathers and that Sam should be godmother"**

**They all nodded and thanked them.**

**The children re-joined the group half an hour later. Odd saw her and went off and played with her in the garden and soon Twinkle and Ansel played along too. **

**Ulrich preferred to watch them through the window rather than listen into the conversation that was happening around him. **

**He saw Krystal running towards him and into the house:**

"**Daddy, come outside and play with us, please!" Krystal begged him.**

**Ulrich got up and went outside with her.**

"**Ok, so what game are we going to play now then precious?" Odd asked her as he smiled at Ulrich.**

"**How about hide and seek and you and daddy are it" Krystal laughed.**

"**Ok, ok go and hide then we wont look, we'll give you a minute considering this garden is huge" Odd laughed and sat down on the grass.**

**Ulrich followed his action.**

"**Krystal is a lovely little girl" Odd muttered while fiddling with the grass.**

**Ulrich nodded his agreement.**

"**We've grew up a lot, haven't we?" Odd half-laughed, half-sighed.**

"**Yeah we have" **

"**Do you ever miss being a care-free teenager?" Odd asked him.**

"**No I don't 'coz I never really got to experience being a care free teenager"**

**Odd laughed at that comment**

"**True" "Don't you ever miss it though? Being at kadic; sneaking out late; getting caught by Jim; outsmarting Sissy and her gang; the adventures with X.a.n.a; flirting with girls. Don't you ever miss it?"**

"**Yeah I do and that's 'coz you're meant to but you can't forget all those things had bad sides too. Kadic stunk when people had forgotten to wash their bedding; always being tired from being out late; getting detentions and phone calls home when Jim caught you; Sissy's revenges; the stress of x.a.n.a with Aelita's anti-virus and materialisation; stress of whether knowing if a girl really like you or not."**

**Ulrich looked at his friend who seemed deep in thought.**

"**We'd better go and look for them" he said bringing Odd out of his thoughts.**

**Odd nodded and went to look for the children along with Ulrich helping. **

**Ulrich and Yumi crawled into bed at the late hour of one in the morning. The gang had left at half ten but their families stayed until half twelve. Yumi's mom was staying in the spare bedroom at their house so she never could leave but Ulrich's parents kept on talking about several issues and then memories and then repeat themselves but they, fortunately, realised the time and left.**

**Yumi watched Ulrich intently as he was thinking. She couldn't tell what he was thinking about but she knew he was confused because of the look on his face.**

"**What are you thinking about?" Yumi asked cuddling into his muscular form.**

"**Odd" he simply replied wrapping an arm around her.**

"**Why?" she asked bewildered.**

"**He spoke to me today about how he misses Kadic and when we were teenagers"**

"**Sam mentioned that he was thinking more and more about his past"**

"**I think he misses it too much" he voiced his concern.**

"**What do you mean?"**

"**I don't think he's enjoying what he's got; a wife; children; a job; etc."**

"**Oh"**

**Ulrich could tell that Yumi didn't understand why Ulrich was so worried about this but she wouldn't. She hadn't had the case of Mr. Jackson; he was so wrapped up in his teenage days that he completely ignored his current life that he lost his wife and his children. The case, despite Ulrich's best efforts to help him, had ended badly. Mr. Jackson had come crashing back down to what was happening around him and he couldn't put his life back together so he took it by jumping off the mall's roof.**

"**What are you going to do?" Yumi asked after a couple of minute's silence.**

"**I dunno, I guess I can only watch and see if it stops" Ulrich sighed.**

**Yumi looked at him confused and when he told her about the case that he was thinking of earlier she completely understood.**

"**He should be alright" Yumi said but still thinking herself of what she had just learned.**

**Ulrich nodded half-heartily but decided to keep a close eye on his friend.**

**He knew that due to X.a.n.a, the five of them had not had a great teenage life but it was over and they all had moved on. X.a.n.a had helped them become a lot stronger, not only physically but mentally too. In a sick twisted way, they owed a lot of thanks to their former enemy for helping them become so close to one another, and making them become stronger. Odd, though in many ways had stayed a foolish typical teenage boy through those years of fighting the evil computer, but all of them had had to grow up during X.a.n.a's final days and their near death experiences**


	21. Laughs during the night

**Yumi was sitting up in bed, listening carefully to Ulrich in the other room putting Kaiser to bed.**

**Today had been very exhausting for the Sterns'. First of all Kaiser had had the biggest tantrum of his life along with Krystal who didn't want to wear a white frilly dress to be baptised in. Then the hall which they had hired to have a little party in rang up saying that they had double-booked by mistake and that it wouldn't be possible for them to use the hall and then to finish the early morning off Sam had come storming in their house in tears of anger after having an argument with Odd.**

**But the rest seemed to go quite smoothly unless you count Mrs Stern and Ms Ishiyama arguing over what was right for the children and then Krystal kicking the vicar's leg for getting her pink dress wet and of course when Sam chucked the alcoholic punch all over Odd.**

**What was Yumi kidding herself? The day had been a disaster but of course would be etched into her memory forever.**

**Ulrich quietly entered the bedroom but on seeing that Yumi was still awake carried on as normal. Yumi watched him get undressed and into bed.**

"**So how's your head?" Ulrich asked half-whispering.**

"**Calming down, yours?" Yumi laughed.**

"**About the same, interesting day, wouldn't you say so?" Ulrich laughed.**

"**Absolutely fabulous you know" Yumi rolled her eyes sarcastically.**

"**What was the worst part for you?" he asked.**

"**Probably trying to get beer out of the mink carpets thanks to Jeremie and your dad, how about you?"**

"**Krystal kicking the vicar" Ulrich cringed from the memory of it.**

**Yumi laughed "Yeah it was bad"**

"**So what do you reckon about Odd then?" she asked.**

**Ulrich thought about it for a moment before sighing and saying that he would leave it to Sam to sort him.**

_**Flashback:**_

_**Ulrich caught a glimpse of Sam storming into the kitchen after slamming the door before he heard her breakdown in tears with Yumi. He entered the kitchen and listened to why Sam was crying.**_

_**It had turned out that Odd had called her an old wrinkly because she wouldn't agree to have a rave at the house.**_

_**Ulrich remembered the time when Odd decided to have a rave at the factory but hadn't exactly asked Jeremie if he could. It had ended when X.a.n.a had thankfully attacked and they got sent into the past making everyone forget what they had seen.**_

_**He could still remember the blazing argument that Jeremie and Odd had had over that.**_

_**Aelita, Yumi and Ulrich had covered their ears from the loudness of it all.**_

_**End of flashback.**_

"**Do you think we need to worry about him Ulrich?" Yumi asked.**

"**To be perfectly honest I don't know Yumi" **

**Ulrich sounded lost and Yumi knew the case of Mr Jackson was getting to him because of the similarities between Mr Jackson and Odd, she cuddled up to him and laughed.**

**Ulrich looked down at her confused at what she was laughing at.**

"**The vicar's face when she kicked him, the church went so quiet!" Yumi quietly laughed.**

**Ulrich joined her with her laughter.**

"**I thought our moms were gonna kill each other" Ulrich sighed.**

"**Yeah me too, thank goodness Aelita had the sense to drag the one off 'eh?" **

**Ulrich laughed "Yeah"**

"**I heard Aelita talking to Jeremie about wanting more children" Yumi commented.**

**Ulrich nodded.**

"**Do you want any more Ulrich?" Yumi asked seriously.**

"**I don't know, do you?"**

"**I'm not really sure" Yumi sighed.**

"**Maybe one day, but not yet" **

**Yumi nodded happily and kissed her husbands lips.**

"**I love you Ulrich" Yumi spoke into his chest as they cuddled.**

"**I love you too and you know it" He squeezed her small form.**

So sorry about this being so late but you would not believe the amount of trouble I have been having so I wont even go into it, and then it took me ages to come up with this because I've got writers block on it :( so if you ant to give me some help and some suggestions you can pm me, e-mail me or add me on msn messenger at the address of: you to my reviewers so far I'm up to 50 now! For me to update I want at least 5 reviews please, I want to beat the prequel of this which was Senses which had 61 reviews in total so please review!

I know 10 of you have got this on your alert and 14 on your favs so I knwo there are more reading it than reviewing so get on with it it takes a second!

Love ya all x


	22. Arguments

**Ulrich sighed as he heard Odd talking to Yumi about his problem in the front room. Yumi had had the guts to confront him and ever since then Odd had been in the front room for 5 hours with Yumi leaving Ulrich to handle Krystal, Kaiser and his mother-in-law.**

**Ms. Ishiyama was still not happy about the children being baptised in German tradition and was furious at Ulrich's mom for thinking that she knew better than she did for their grandchildren. **

"**Ulrich dear you mustn't forget I'm catching my flight tomorrow at 7am so I'll want to be there for 4am" Ms Ishiyama said sternly.**

"**What? You're not due to go back for another week"**

"**I know but I miss Japan and well I haven't exactly enjoyed my trip except for seeing my grandchildren"**

"**Look Ms Ishiyama I know it's been rough and even though Yumi does act a bit stressed with you I know she's glad to have you around" Ulrich said**

"**Ulrich please jut drive me to the airport tomorrow at 4am, thank you" And with that she stood up and went upstairs presumably to pack.**

**Ulrich groaned and went into the front room.**

"**Sorry but Yumi I think you should know that your mother is going back to Japan tomorrow and wants me to take her at four in the morning, that is all" And he walked back out and poured himself a large brandy.**

**An hour later, Ulrich heard Odd leave and Krystal returned from Twinkle's ten minutes later.**

**Yumi saw to a crying Kaiser when Krystal screamed at a rather large spider.**

**But eventually Yumi got to Ulrich and started asking why her mother was returning to Japan a week early.**

**When she realised that Ulrich knew nothing she left him to talk to her mother.**

**That day Ulrich felt quite lonely and was looking forward to returning to work the next week.**

**Dinner was a very quiet affair except for Krystal and Kaiser and the tension got to Ulrich so much that he gave up and went to visit Jeremie and Aelita taking Krystal with him so she could play with Ansel.**

**Aelita and Jeremie were very surprised to see Ulrich and Krystal on their doorstep but welcomed them in all the same. Krystal and Ansel went upstairs to play and leave the grown-ups to talk.**

**Aelita was surprised to hear about Odd but Jeremie didn't seem all that shocked.**

"**I kind knew something was up with him and he does spend an awful time with Krystal you know and you do realise why that is don't you?"**

**Both Aelita and Ulrich shook their heads.**

"**Ulrich, Odd was very close to you and Yumi you know and Krystal is so much like you two you know, he does indeed yearn for the past"**

**A silence remained for the next two minutes but Ulrich broke it asking if the rumours were true about them adopting another child.**

**Aelita squealed "We hope so; we want a little girl around 3 or 4"**

**Ulrich smiled at Aelita's glee and looked over at Jeremie who was watching his wife intently.**

"**You want a girl too?" **

"**Yeah it would be nice to have two children just like you and Yumi and Odd and Sam"**

**Ulrich nodded.**

"**How are you and Yumi doing then? No fights or anything?"**

"**Nah, strong as ever even though we've hardly spoke today"**

**Both Jeremie and Aelita gave looks which said 'explain' so that's what Ulrich did explain his hectic yet lonely day.**

**They both sympathised with him but he soon had to leave due to him having to take his mother-in-law to the airport the next early morning. Krystal was quite disappointed to leave as she was thrashing Ansel at 'Twister'.**

**After Ulrich and Krystal left Jeremie and Aelita instantly started discussing Odd, they both knew that Ulrich didn't want to talk about him so they hadn't prodded at him for information.**

"**I wonder why Odd has got like this." Aelita pondered when they had got into bed.**

"**Aelita, bad idea to discuss Odd when we're bed you know" Jeremie muttered.**

**Aelita giggled and started reading her romance novel with Jeremie searching the net on his laptop.**

**When Ulrich got back home he headed straight upstairs to bed despite knowing that Yumi was in the front room.**

**After undressing he climbed into the cold bed.**

**Just as he dozed off Yumi came into the bedroom looking quite angry.**

"**What's wrong?" Ulrich sighed as he sat up, even though he knew it had something to do with his mother-in-law as he had heard shouting from downstairs. **

"**My mother is what is wrong, she just thinks she is right all the time and she isn't. She's telling me what career Krystal should go into. She's said that Krystal would do well if she was to come and live with her in Japan and literally said she was going to take her back with her tomorrow morning, well I'll tell you this now she is not, she can hurry up and piss off for me now"**

**Yumi sat down on the edge of the bed and Ulrich came and hugged her.**

"**She won't be taking Krystal and you know that, Krystal's career isn't up to her and neither is it up to us it is up to Krystal herself" He told her soothingly.**

**Yumi nodded but was still quite angry.**

"**We're moving the cot in here tonight and Krystal will sleep in the bed with us, she isn't going to be able to say goodnight to them or goodbye"**

**Ulrich got up to fetch the cot with Kaiser in it and Krystal followed tiredly in.**

**Ulrich had gotton quite warm very fast with Krystal and Yumi in the bed with him and had woken up twice in the night due to Kaiser's crying. **

**The third time he got disturbed was due to the alarm clock telling him that it was half three in the morning.**

**Sighing, he carefully got out of bed, got dressed and went downstairs.**

**He was quite shocked to find his mother-in-law already there and waiting for him.**

"**Ah good we can leave and you aren't to stay there with me either"**

**Ulrich just shrugged, grabbed the car keys along with a bottle of water and followed his mother-in-law out of the front door and into the car.**

**Three hours later Ulrich grumpily walked into his house to find Odd and Sam having a blazing row; Serenity and Kaiser screaming their heads off; Krystal, Twinkle and Ansel covering their ears and Yumi with a coffee in her hands looking like she wanted to give up, with Jeremie and Aelita doing the same thing.**

**Ulrich bypassed Odd and Sam who hadn't noticed him anyway, grabbed Kaiser and Serenity, called the three children over to him, told Krystal to get her mother, Jeremie and Aelita and they followed him back outside where they drove, using the Sterns' car and the Belpois' car, back to Jeremie and Aelita's house. All their actions went unnoticed by the arguing pair.**

**As soon as they had safely got inside Jeremie and Aelita's house, they all sighed a sigh of relief, minus Kaiser and Serenity who had fallen asleep whilst travelling.**

**While Aelita was making breakfast for them all, Yumi noticed Twinkle's tears.**

"**What's a matter sweetie?" **

"**Mommy and daddy are going to break up aren't they?" Twinkle sobbed.**

"**Oh honey no they love each other, it's just that your daddy is having some issues and mommy can't handle it" Yumi says gently hugging the girl.**

"**They're like this at home all the time though"**

"**Yeah they're having a rough ride at the minute but me and Uncle Ulrich did a while back but look we came out strong didn't we honey?" Yumi asks her husband.**

**After a couple seconds of silence, Yumi looks around and finds that her husband is sleeping.**

**Both Yumi and Twinkle laugh.**

"**Well we did like your mommy and daddy will, they do love each other and they love their children too so wipe up your tears and I've got a feeling that Krystal and Ansel are setting up Twister in the next room" Yumi winks.**

**Twinkle looks up at Yumi and gives her a watery smile.**

"**Thanks Auntie Yumi" Twinkle gives Yumi a brief but tight hug and leaps out of the room to find her friends.**

"**Easy to fool them isn't it?" Aelita sighs as she gives Jeremie his croissants.**

"**What?" Yumi asks truly confused.**

"**Sam and Odd are probably gonna break up, you do know that don't you?" **

"**They love each other they won't, I wasn't lying to her Aelita" Yumi defends **

"**Yumi, they have been arguing for weeks now, and a pair of stupid psychologists aren't going to help them" Aelita agued back.**

"**What? What was that?" Yumi asked sounding hurt and even Ulrich who had woken up had stood up at Aelita's remark.**

"**Nothing, I didn't mean..." Aelita trailed off pathetically.**

"**Ulrich get Krystal, Kaiser, Twinkle and Serenity, we're going home. We aren't staying where we're not welcome."**

"**Oh come on Yumi you know she didn't mean it like that" Jeremie defended his wife.**

"**Oh I think she did Jer, so what we can't figure our technical things but we can figure out minds, that's our job and we can figure out we're not welcome"**

**And with that Yumi stormed out of the house with Ulrich and their children along with Twinkle and Serenity.**

Ok so techincally I shouldn't have updated until I had two more reviews but I wont update until I get 5 reviews on this one. I made it longer to please Bighoggi14 and I'm going to take Rycr's tip and not update for 2 months until I get those 5 reviews. I'll have you know that this story is finished and is just waiting to be posted so roll in the reviews and you can see how it's ends.**  
**Simple as.

I'm gonna thank those 3 people who did review:

Bighoggi14

Rycr

Katfish xX


	23. Getting Help

**Yumi walked into her home to find Sam on the couch crying and Odd in the kitchen also crying. Immediately Twinkle ran to her mom to try and help her even though she was torn who to help her mom or her dad. Ulrich took Krystal, Kaiser and Serenity upstairs away from all the drama of downstairs. He had tried taking Twinkle up but she refused, she wanted to help her parents.**

**Yumi and Ulrich looked at one another and then Ulrich went into the kitchen with Odd while Yumi joined the girls in the front room.**

"**So what's up?" Ulrich asked casually sitting down next to Odd in the kitchen.**

"**I'm messed up, aren't I? I'm too lost in the past aren't I mate?" Odd asked **

**Ulrich remained silent.**

"**I mean I miss it so much when I know I should be enjoying what I've got now: a wife; children; a job; friends."**

**Again Ulrich didn't say a thing he knew Odd was about to open his heart up to him and he knew not to disturb that process.**

"**I know most people would just love to have what I have; family and friends you know but I miss the past when things were like good. You saw your friends every day; kicked X.a.n.a's butt; flirted with girls; didn't have the stress of having a job so you could feed your family. I want the past back Ulrich I do but I want to be normal and live in the here and now. I've upset Sam so much and I feel so bad but I'm still living in the past thinking that if it was then, this wouldn't be an issue" Odd finished as he wiped his face of the tears that were streaming down his face.**

"**Ok, so I hope you know that you've just been analysed" Ulrich said gaining a smile from Odd.**

"**I hoped you would"**

**Ulrich laughed.**

"**The only advice I can give you now is to try and live in the present. I know the past for you seemed easy and now you're having to earn things for yourself now which still seems new to you. You do realise that you should be living in the here and now so you aren't too lost in the past at all, in fact, by juts admitting that you're already helping yourself"**

"**Really?" Odd asked uncertain.**

"**Yeah, take it from someone who does this for a living"**

"**Oh yeah you're not charging are you?" Odd smiled.**

"**I am by the minute" Ulrich half-laughed.**

**Odd smiled widely before a serious face came on.**

"**What am I going to do about Sam?" **

"**What you feel best to do Odd but I can off you both a session to try and make your marriage stronger and also about your problem with being in the past I know someone who can help you a lot"**

"**I think I need that and I think we need that marriage saver session too"**

"**Come to the office on Monday and I'll sort it for you"**

"**Thanks buddy"**

"**Anytime"**

**Meanwhile in the front room...**

"**What's happening with my husband?" sobbed Sam.**

"**Twinkle sweetie can you please go upstairs with Krystal so I can talk freely with your mother?"**

**Twinkle knew this was serious so obeyed and went upstairs willingly.**

"**Sam, Odd is having trouble adjusting to being an adult and having to look after a family of his own. This isn't just Odd being stupid, this is actually a condition is psychology"**

"**But why, Yumi, why does it have to be my husband that gets it?" cried Sam.**

"**Hey, it could happen to anyone including you and me"**

"**I feel so guilty for arguing with him but its getting me so frustrated when all he does is imagine he's still 15 or 16 flirting with other women; worrying about evil computer attacks; thinking of plans to get you and Ulrich together. When instead he should be playing with his children; worrying if we've got enough money; keeping our marriage alive," Sam sobbed again.**

"**I'm sure he knows this Sam but he is having difficulty and as much as it's hard to deal with, you, his wife, need to be there for him like he has to be there for you. Remember through sickness and health?"**

**Sam laughed a little at this reminder. "Yeah I do remember and I know that I need to be there for him but it doesn't make it any easier"**

"**No it doesn't but it's what shows how much you love one another when you can pull through hard times together"**

"**Like you and Ulrich with the baby thing 'eh?" **

"**Yes like that" Yumi half-smiled. The memory of their child still brought a slight sting to Yumi.**

"**Thanks Yumi"**

**Sam gave Yumi a hug and looked up when Ulrich and Odd came into the front room.**

**Odd walked up to Sam and sat down beside her.**

"**I'm going to get help Sam and it would be an idea for us to get help too" he suggested gently.**

**Sam looked up at Ulrich who nodded at her.**

"**We need it, don't we?" Sam asked sadly.**

"**We do a bit but I do love you and I want to be with you for eternity"**

"**I love you too so we get help and become stronger than ever" She kissed him lightly on the lips.**

"**Yeah and I'm going to get help for my issue"**

"**And I'm going to be there for you Odd, through sickness and health" **

**Sam winked at Yumi with a smile.**

**Odd smirked widely and hugged his wife.**

**Sam and Odd left with their children after thanking Ulrich and Yumi for their help.**

**Ulrich sat down on the couch and yawned.**

**Yumi laughed.**

"**Aww poor you, I forgot that you've hardly had any sleep" She sat down next to him and pulled his head onto her chest and they lay down for a while enjoying the silence until Yumi laughed gently.**

"**What?"**

"**Who was it that said a pair of stupid psychologists couldn't help them?" laughed Yumi**

**Ulrich laughed with her. "You are going to accept her apology aren't you?"**

"**Yeah I will as long as she says it to you too"**

**Ulrich chuckled before they fell into comfortable silence and Ulrich eventually drifted off to sleep.**

**A couple of hours later Ulrich woke up and realised that he wasn't alone in the house with his family. He heard voices of Jeremie and Aelita, Odd and Sam and of course the children.**

**Slowly Ulrich got up and travelled cautiously to the kitchen where he could hear everyone in.**

"**Oh you're up" Yumi said while kissing him.**

"**Don't want to be though," laughed Ulrich while he poured himself some orange juice.**

**Silence filled the room until Aelita spoke up.**

"**I'm sorry Ulrich I really didn't mean to say that about your job, Heck, I bet the brain is far more complicated than computers, like I said I'm really sorry Ulrich" **

**Ulrich looked up at his wife asking for her permission to forgive Aelita silently.**

**Yumi gave small nod.**

"**Forget it Aelita, its ok"**

**Aelita smiled and instantly the room was filled with a friendly air once more.**

**After a couple of hours of talking, laughing and drinking, the people that didn't reside in the house left the others in peace.**

**Ulrich gratefully climbed into bed while Yumi put Krystal and Kaiser to bed. This day had truly worn him out and he really needed to catch up on his beauty sleep; he had dark rings around his eyes from tiredness. Another sign of tiredness was that he had started shaking.**

**Ulrich felt Yumi climb into bed and felt her wrap her arms around his torso. Hr turned over and cuddled her in his arms.**

"**I'm so tired," he mumbled.**

"**I know you are babe go to sleep"**

"**I wish I could but today's events are playing in my mind"**

"**Aw my poor baby" Yumi mocked**

**Ulrich playfully slapped her.**

**Yumi laughed. "It has been a busy day though"**

"**I think busy is under-estimating this day"**

"**You know you're funnier when you're half asleep"**

**Ulrich poked his tongue out at her, which she grabbed quickly with her mouth.**

"**You cheeky bitch" Ulrich said once he regained his mouth back.**

"**That's me, don't ware it out!" Yumi laughed.**

**Ulrich laughed but Yumi sensed that Ulrich would be in the land of dream very soon.**

**Therefore, she snuggled down so that she could place her head on his chest, and instantly Ulrich wrapped his one arm around her shoulders and the other around her body.**

"**Our position again" Yumi uttered quietly.**

"**Our sleeping position anyway" Ulrich replied cheekily.**

**Yumi giggled.**

"**You definitely are funnier when you're half-asleep"**

"**You're not funny Yumi," Ulrich mumbled sarcastically.**

"**I am and you love me for it" **

"**I love everything about you and you know it"**

"**I do and I love you too"**

"**I know now goodnight," Ulrich said rather final.**

"**Goodnight babe" Yumi whispered closing her eyes.**

Please review, I'm begging you!**  
**


	24. Author's note

**Hi, Ama here!**

**Thanks for all your lovely reviews to:**

**The Black Racer**

**Akito Shaoku Mizukouken **

**Rycer**

**Bighoggi14**

**KatfishxX**

**Cab88**

**Mi ChIbO**

**banana123**

**Ulrichxyumi plus long night 9 months later I was born**

**Danza's Mystic Shadow**

**FlipMyMood**

**ZeldaKing**

**Long lost sorrow**

**merlinchris**

**Rayokarna**

**Neo Aguni**

**Minako Sohma**

**renayumi**

**xxyumiulrichxx**

**And a big thank you to Inuanddrave7 you reviewed the most on this story, you really are my #1 fan, aren't you? ;)**

**Now as you can probably tell this was the end of A New Life but don't worry a sequel will be coming your way real soon!**

**And also watch out for some fanfics by me which doesn't focus on Ulrich and Yumi, I know shock :O!**

**People have been telling me to give them some time so Odd and Sam are gonna get a one-shot the same as Jeremie and Aelita.**

**There is also gonna be a couple of songfics soon too.**

**Now if all of you reviewed on all of them it would be so nice and I'd give you all treats (want a fanfics writing on a theme, review on my stories send me a pm and I'll do it for you!)**

**Now aren't I the nice one!**

**Love you all and watch out for the sequel it's gonna be called 'Don't Take Life Too Serious'**

**Wee see ya dude's and dudettes!**


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